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10/07/08 12:00 AM

"I am part of an RA pool therapy group. Can anyone suggest water exercises that will help neuropathy?"
Asked By: rphil2  
Category: Neuropathy

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Thanks so much for each expert who ahs answered my questions. You have been very helpful. I am part of an pool therapy group for RA. I attend about once week and do a variety of movements that stretch and flex my joints. This includes walking across the pool, treading water with floats and enjoying the warm water. Does anyone know water exercises for feet, leg and back nueropathy I might incorporate in my typical routine? Any suggestions will be helpful.

Expert Answers (1)

10/13/08 10:06 AM

Glad that you are benefiting from regular exercise. Water exercises are gentle on the joints, allow full range of motion and increase strength, thus relieving overall muscle stress. Exercising in warm water is especially effective for treating stiff, sore joints because water helps support the body so there is less stress on your hips, knees, feet and spine. Water exercises provide resistance training that could improve symptoms of neuropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and peripheral neuropathy. A resistance training program improves neurologic functioning in the lower extremities. Some researchers feel that it could improve glucose control and perhaps reverse the neuropathy to some degree. The Arthritis Foundation sponsored programs offer guidance from trained instructors. Water exercises benefit all body parts for people with arthritis and neuropathy. The content and progression of the program depends upon your individual needs and capabilities. Be sure that you are participating in a comprehensive exercise program the other 2-3 days of the week supported by exercise physiologists who are experienced with both arthritis and diabetes. Take care.
Answered By: Liz Quintana
Accreditations: EdD, RD, LD, CDE,CPT
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Community Answers (1)

11/17/08 07:24 PM

Swimming is the number 1 overall excercise. It can make almost every aspect of the human body work at once. It offers great cardiovascular benefits as well as muscle movement and brain work. Neuropathy has to be understood as an effect of a damage. An accident to a nerve that can not be reversed. Once a nerve has been damaged, it is damaged for life and can not be fixed. If this is true, than at least you can understand that swimming will not relieve pain if it occurs from neuropathy. It is the event of excercise that creates the adverse positive effects to keep healthy. That alone will take suffering away and discourage further damage to nerves. One can not think that any one excercise can treat or reverse nerve damage. I would consider doing what comes natural as a swim instructor and teach it as an over all self improvement. That is more powerful against neuropathy than any drug or excercise. Faith in living against this ugly condition is what is important. If I was to put my finger on one thing that helps with neuropathy, I would say.... Stay as close as you can to normal BS levels. Everything else will take care of itself.
Answered By: insulin joe
FLAG
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